Textile splicing



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Sept. 19, 1961 c. M. NELSON ETAL 3,000,434

TEXTILE SPLICING Filed oct. 27, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 1 SePt- 19, 1961 c. M. NELSON ETAL 3,000,434

TEXTILE SPLICING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 27, 1958 NIN wm @2j im @2g 7 NZM M. 4m M WM z W Nv@ w H \Nmw \MW. /f/W/ E Il MS QW \W NW. 'i y n l Il 6% NQ Ww M0@ United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 19., 1961 3,000,434 TEXTILE SPLICING Cecil M. Nelson, Minneapolis, Walter C. Larsen, Bloommgton, Edwin A. Goralski, Maplewood, and Donavon T. Rehwaldt, White Bear Lake, Minn., assignors to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St.

Paul, Minn., a corporation 'of Delaware Filed Oct. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 769,919 4 Claims. (Cl. 154-42) The present invention relates to the splicing of lengths of textile fabric or cloth in end to end relationship to form a single length.

In textile mills the practice has been to splice the lengths that come from the loom, by sewing with thread, to provide a single long length for subsequent processes `such as bleaching, impregnating, dyeing and printing.

Where such processing involves the passing of the cloth through rollers, the impact of the sewn seam is harmful to the surfaces of some rollers, for example, printing rollers. In such cases it is necessary to maintain a watch so as to interrupt the pressure of the rollers when a splice approaches, and skip the portion of the length of cloth where the splice occurs. To accomplish this the machinery must sometimes be slowed down almost to a complete stop; also, the length on either side of the splice that is thus skipped or omitted from the processing that would otherwise be imparted by the rollers, is sometimes quite considerable.

Previous attempts at splices formed 'by means other than by sewing, such as by adhesives, have been unsuccessful or at least commercially unfeasible.

- The present invention provides a splice wherein the ends of the cloth are held together by a cured resinous It also provides a method wherein a thermoplastic thermosetting resinous film is placed between the overlapped end portions of the two lengths of cloth, heat is applied to cure the resin and at the same time a pressure is applied suicient to produce an overlap splice of a thickness of less than twice the thickness of the cloth.

An apparatus or machine capable of carrying out the method and producing the splice, which is at the same time of a construction suiciently light to render the machine easily handleable and portable for use at Various locations in a factory, is also provided. It comprises a narrow elongate rst jaw of a length at least equal to the width of the textile fabric, a complementary second jaw, the face of each jaw having a normally planar configuration, means for holding the two ends of the iirst jaw iixed in a splicing position, means for pressing the center of the second jaw against the rst jaw, the second jaw having a tapered configuration with a dimension in cross section at its center that is greater than its dimension in cross section at its Vtwo ends, the said dimensions being perpendicular to the face of the jaw, and a heating ele` ment adjacent the face of at least one of the jaws. In a preferred embodiment the first jaw faces upwardly and is horizontally disposed, and the second jaw faces downwardly and is held at its center above the first jaw by cantilever suspension. An illustrative embodiment of the apparatus is described hereinbelow and diagrammatically shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

' FIGURES l and 2 are front and side elevations, respectively, of the apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom elevation of the left end portion of the upper jaw;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical longitudinalrsection of the left end portion of the upper jaw taken along lthe line 4--4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross section of the upper and lower jaws;

FIGURE 6 is a wiring diagram; and

FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 show various forms of splices. The apparatus or machine of FIGURES 1 through 6 is in the form of a carriage having a framework supported on a horizontal triangular lbase 16 which in turn is supported by three `wheels 17. The carriage is anchored in position by a brake 18.

A narrow elongate horizontal planar splicing table 20 is located well above the base 16 midway between the front and the back of the machine, and extends across the machine from left to right. The table is supported at either end by two vertical elevating shafts 21 and 21.' which are mounted in the framework for vertical reciprocation. The table and the shafts are shown in their normal position in FIGURES l and 2. l'

An overcenter linkage 22 is pivoted at 23 to the shaft 21 and at 25 to the free end of an arm 26 whose other end is xed to a horizontal shaft 27 that is journaled in the frame; and a duplicate over-center linkage 22 likewise connects the elevating shaft 21 and the horizontal shaft 27, the corresponding parts being identified in the drawing by prime numerals. The shaft 27 is rotated by a hand lever 2S and a segment gear 30 which are fixed on a short horizontal shaft 3l that is journaled in the frame, the segment gear meshing with a driven gear 32 that is iixed on the shaft 27. Movement of the lever 28 in a direction to rotate the segment gear 30 counterclockwise (FIGURE 2) raises the elevating shafts 21 and 21' to thrust the table 20 from its normal position upwardly into splicing position, where it is held xed by the linkages against the downward pressure exerted upon it during the splicing operation. The table s returned to its normal position by moving the lever 28 back in the op-l posite direction. A counter weight 33 that is lixed to the shaft 27 tends to equalize the work required to move the lever in either direction.

A heavy upright post 35 extends upwardly from the base 16 at the left side of the machine, and a horizontal cantilever arm 36 extends from the top of the post to the right above the table 20. An air cylinder 37 is mounted on the top of the arm 36 at the end of the arm, with its piston rod 38 extending down freely through the arm for a short distance below the arm. The piston rod is vertical, and is directly above the approximate center of the table 20.

Compressed air, maintained in a reservoir 40 by an air compressor 41, is supplied to the air cylinder 37 through a pipe 42. The air is withheld from the cylinder 37 by a normally closed solenoid air valve 43. The .valve `operates to admit the air to the cylinder when the valve is open, and to exhaust the air from the cylinder when the valve is closed.

A narrow elongate horizontally disposed upper Splicing jaw 45 is xed at its approximate center to the lower end of the piston rod 38, directly above and parallel with, the table 20.

The upper jaw 45 is thus held at its center by cantilever suspension.

The jaw 45 is of a tapered configuration, having a greater vertical thickness at its central portion than at either end; that is, it has a vertical dimension in cross section at its center that is greater than its vertical di-Y mension in cross section at its two ends.

The under surface of the jaw 45 is covered with a layer 46 of plastic material of low heat conductivity; and

A heating element 50 is disposed between the two sheets 47 and 48, and is in the form of a continuous ribbon-like band.

The plastic layer 46 is relatively thick and also relatively rigid, and is sometimes referred to as the heating element mounting bar. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, a heating element anchor'ng block 46a is mounted at the left end of the layer or bar 46. The block and the bar are of the same size and shape in cross section and are in alignment, so that the block is in effect an extension of the bar. The bar and the block have complementary bores 51 into which two block holding rods 52 are tted. The rods are fixed in the block 46a but are -freeto slide in the bores that are in the bar 46. Springs 53 that surround the rods 52 are loaded to impel the block outlwardly to the left away from the left end of the bar 46. A duplicate block 46a' is likewise mounted at the right end ofthe bar 46, and is spring-impelled outwardly to the right yaway from the right end of the bar.

The heating ribbon 50 is fastened at either end to the blocks 46a and 46a by screws 54, and extends for the full length of the bar 46 between the sheets 47 and 48. The ribbon 50 is free to move in respect to the sheets 47 and 48. At normal room temperature the blocks 46a and 46a' are held in abutting relationship against the ends of the bar 46 by the ribbon (as in FIGURES 3 and 4) but as the ribbon becomes heated it expands, whereupon the blocks are impelled away from each other by the springs. Thus the heating element or ribbon 50 is held taut at all temperatures, and the planar configuration of the face of the jaw 45 maintained. The operating portion of the heating element is generally defined by the length of the bar 46, and by the width of the element itself.

A narrow elongate lower splicing jaw 55 is countersunk or embedded in the splicing table 20, extending along the length of the table directly below and parallel with the upper jaw 45. The table is pierced with an elongate aperture to accommodate the lower jaw 55. The jaw 55 is supported at either end by the elevating shifts 21 and 21'. The upper surface of the jaw 55 is covered with a thick layer 56 of plastic material of low heat conductivity; and the upper surface of the plastic layer 56 is, in turn, covered with a exible sheet 57. The sheet 57 is bellowed up slightly above the layer 56 and held against the side edges of the layer 56 by clamps 58 to form an air space `60 between the sheet and the layer. The exposed upper surface of the sheet 57 forms the working surface or face of the jaw, the said face being of an approximately planar configuration and being approximately ush with the upper surface of the table 20.

A r'irst series of spaced upright pins 61 extend along the length of the lower jaw 55 adjacent one edge of the jaw for holding the end portion of a length 62 of textile fabric in splicing position; and a second series 61 adjacent the other edge likewise holds a length 62. Y

The working surfaces or faces of the upper and lower jaws, Yand the operative portion of the heating element 50, are all of a length at least equal to the width of the lengths `62 and 62 of fabric; and the width of the heating element is at least equal to, preferably slightly greater than, the width of the strip of bonding film.

A supply roll 65 of bonding film 66 is rotatably mounted on the upright post 35. The hlm 66 is in the form of a narrow strip or tape, and the roll 65 is aligned with the lower splicing jaw 55 so that when the film is drawn out `from left to right (FIGURE l) along the splicing table 20, the film will overlie the jaw with the longitudinal centers of the lm and the jaw approximately in register (FIGURE 2). Y

Interwound with the `film 66 in the roll 65 is a liner 67 that is removed from the film and wound up on a liner wind-up drum 68 that is rotatably mounted on the upright post 35, the movement of the lm as it is being drawn along the table serving to rotate the drum.

After a desired length of the ilm 66 has been with- Y e 3,000,434 A 4 drawn, it is severed at the left end of the table 20 by a knife 70 that is pivoted tothe post 35 at 71.

In operation the marginal end portion of the length 62 of cloth is placed on the row of pins 61 and then pressed down until it rests on the jaw 55 with the pins protruding upwardly through the cloth. A length of the bonding *hlm or tape 66 is then drawn out until its leading end registers with the farther edge of the cloth (farther in respect to the supply roll 65 of film), and cut with the knife 70. The cut length of hlm is then resting on the cloth 62 directly above the jaw 55. The marginal end portion of the length -62' is then placed on the row of pins 61' and pressed down until it rests on the film 66 with the pins protruding upwardly through the cloth.

The hand lever 28 is then moved to raise the table 20 and the lower jaw 55 up into splicing position, in which position the upper and lower jaws 45 and 55 are in contact with each other, with the lengths of cloth and the bonding lm 66 between the jaws. V

Y The upward movement of the table 20 acts to close a microswitch 75 (FIGURE 6) as the jaws come in contact. 'I'he closing of the switch 75 actuates an electronic timing device 76 which in turn actuates a magnetic contactor 77 to supply current to the heating element 50 and to an agastat time delay relay 78.

After a time delay that is set to permit the heating element to attain its working temperature, the agastat 78 closes the circuit to the solenoid air valve 43 which is thereby opened to admit air to the air cylinder 37, and the upper jaw 45 is pressed down upon the lower jaw 55. After an elapse of time that is set to permit the bonding of the cloth by the film 66, the circuit is opened by the electronic timer 76 whereupon the magnetic contacter 77 is de-energized, the flow of current to the heating element 50 and to the solenoid valve 43 is cut off, and the valve 43 closes. The closing of the valve shuts off the supply of air from the reservoir 40 and exhausts the air from the cylinder 37 whereupon the pressure on the jaws ceases.

The hand lever 28 is then moved to lower the table 20 and the lower jaw 55 from splicing position to normal position, and the spliced cloth is lifted up away from the pins 61 and 61'.

A cover 80, hinged at 81, is then swung over Vto cover the table and the pins while the spliced cloth is being drawn through the splicing apparatus and wound up in a roll. The -apparatus may thus be left in its anchored position while a number of lengths of cloth are successively spliced end to end, the splicing table 20 and the pins 61 and 61 being uncovered only during a splicing opera.- tion. Alternatively, the anchor18 may be released and the machine withdrawn and wheeled away to another location before the spliced cloth has been pulled through it and wound up. Ihis is made possible by the cantilever suspension of the upper jaw, which renders the machine open ended. It may be withdrawn from the location while the spliced cloth is still stretched between the feeder roll and the master roll.

The cantilever construction, together with the attainment of the objectives of Ilight weight (necessary for a portable machine) and even pressure along the full length yof the splice, is in turn made possible by the iugenious combination of jaw design and selection of points at which to apply pressure to the jaws.

To produce a splice of the desired thinness requires great pressure between the jaws, preferably about 25 pounds per square inch which amounts to a total of 1250 pounds in the illustrated machine.

This paradoxical combination of requirements is met by the present invention by exerting the pressure upon the rst jaw at its two ends, leaving the central portion free to bend; and by rendering the second -jaw (the upper jaw 45 in the illustrated embodiment) of a tapered configuration, thicker at its central Yportion than at either end, and exerting the pressure upon itat a single point,

at its center. The amount of taper, that is, the 'differential in vertical thickness between the central portion and the end portions' of the second jaw is'determined byrst computing the degree ofbend that will occur in the first Jaw and then providing a -vertical Vthickness differential and taper in the second -jaw that will produce a complementary bend in the second jaw. In the illustrated embodiment, the first jaw (the lower -jaw 55) has no taper, that is, it has a uniform vertical dimension in cross section througout its length, but it may be tapered or otherwise varied in configuration if desired.

The taper, the center support for the upper jaw and the end supports for the lower jaw, produces equal pressure notwithstanding the bend that results from the light construction.

The result is the attainment of a uniform distribution throughout the length of the jaws of a pressure that is relatively great, using jaws of a construction that is relatively light.

The material of the rigid plastic layer or bar 46 on the upper jaw 45 should be low heat conductivity plus a capacity to withstand temperatures of 400 to 475 F. The illustrated bar is a glass fiber reinforced plastic laminate commercially obtained under the trade name Glastic and has a thermal conductivity of 2.0 British thermal -units per inch per degree Fahrenheit. In addition to conserving heat and preventing the machine parts from becoming hot, it serves to keep the temperature uniform throughout the length of the jaw, for without it the tapered jaw would dissipate more heat at its thinner end portions than at its thicker central portion.

The plastic layer or bar 56 on the lower jaw 55 is of the same material. Notwithstanding its low heat conductivity it does undergo a rise in temperature after a number of successive splicing operations, and the air space 60 between it and the sheet 57 serves to prevent the bonding film 66 from undergoing ill elfects from the residual heat of the bar 56 (such as curling or premature adhesion) when the cloth and the film are being laid in place in preparation for a splice.

The sheets 48 and 57 that -form the faces of the jaws are of a material suitable to enable them to function as release sheets, that is, a material to which the completed bonded splice will not adhere. In the illustrated embodiment they are of glass cloth that is impregnated with polytetrailuoroethylene; and the sheet 47 is of the same material.

The bonding lm 4is of a thermoplastic thermosetting resinous material that will become soft and tacky and then rapidly cure to a non-tacky solid but exible state at 400 to 475 F.

FIGURES 7 through 10 show methods of laying up the cloths and the bonding lm in preparation for overlap splices. Butt splices, wherein the end edges of the two lengths of cloth meet but do not overlap, with the bonding nlm bridging the seam, are not shown.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 the master roll 62a and the feeder roll 62a' are on oppiste sides of the machine; in FIGURES 9 and 10 they are both on the same side. The splice shown in FIGURES 7 and 9 is sometimes called a ush splice, the end edges of the two lengths of cloth being tlush with or in register with, the respective edges of the bonding lm. To accomplish this, the cloth usually requires trimming; and to this end the table cover 80 may be equipped to serve as a cutting table when in closed position.

In laying up a splice, the bonding lm may be lightly tacked in place to prevent slippage, by passing a hot iron along the length of the iilm in contact with the lm or with the cloth that has been laid over the film. Such an iron may be in the nature of a soldering iron, electrically heated, the hot tip being applied to the film or cloth.

Under the heavy pressure that is exerted, the two thicknesses of cloth are compacted into each other and the softened lm is yforced into the interstices, with the result that overlap splices can be made according to the present invention with -a thickness that is less than twice (for example, 1.5 times) the thickness of the single cloth.

Cloths can be spliced according to the present invention so that the resulting single piece can be'continuously processed throughout its entire length without the previously described interruption or skip at the splices.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for splicing lengths of textile fabric in end to end relationship by means of a heat activatabl bonding lm to form a single length, comprising a narrow elongate iirst jaw of a length at least equal to the width of the textile fabric and a complementary second jaw, each jaw being movable toward and away from the other and the face of each jaw having a normally planar configuration; means for supporting the two ends of the rst jaw, means for holding the supported first jaw fixed in a normal position, means for moving the supported iirst jaw to a splicing position, means for holding the supported rst jaw fixed in the splicing position; means for supporting the second jaw in a position adjacent to the splicing position and for pressing on the center of the second jaw to force the second jaw against the irst jaw when the rst jaw is in splicing position, the second jaw having a tapered configuration with a dimension in cross section at its center that is greater than its dimension in cross section at its two ends, the said dimensions being perpendicular to the face of the jaw, and a heating element adjacent the face of at least one of the jaws.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first jaw faces upwardly and is horizontally disposed, and the second jaw faces downwardly and is held at its center above the first jaw by cantilever suspension, said appa- -ratus including means for holding the end portion of the lengths of textile fabric adjacent to each other and between the jaws.

3. An apparatus for splicing lengths of textile fabric in end to end relationship by means of a heat activatable bonding lm to form a single length, comprising a narrow elongate horizontally disposed lower jaw of a length at least equal to the width of the textile fabric, the face of the lower jaw having a normally planar configuration, means for supporting the two ends of the lower jaw, means for holding the supported lower jaw xed in a normal position, means for raising the supported lower jaw to a splicing position, means for holding the supported lower jaw xed in the splicing position, a layer of material of low heat conductivity on the top of the lower jaw and a flexible release sheet over the said layer with an air space between the sheet and the layer, the top surface of the sheet forming the face of the lower jaw, a first series of spaced upright pins extending along the length of the lower jaw adjacent one edge of the jaw for holding the end portion of one of the lengths of the textile fabric in splicing position, a second series of spaced upright pins extending along the length of the lower jaw adjacent the other edge of the jaw for holding the end portion of the other length of the textile fabric in splicing position, a complementary upper jaw held at its center above the lower jaw by cantilever suspension and positioned to con tact the lower jaw when the lower jaw is raised to its splicing position, the upper jaw having a tapered conguration with a vertical dimension in cross section at its center that is greater than its vertical dimension in cross section at its two ends, the face of the upper jaw having a normally planar configuration, a layer of material of low heat conductivity on the under surface of the upper jaw, a irst exible sheet beneath the under surface of the said layer, a heating element beneath the under surface of the first sheet, the heating element being in the form of a continuous ribbon-like band of a length at least equal to the width of the textile fabric, and of a Width at least equal to the width of the bonding film, a second flexible sheet beneath the Vunder Vsurfaee Vof the heating element, the second sheet being a release References .Cited in the .tile .of this patent f UNITED STATES 'PATENTS CapsV ..1 -..,...;.,.j... ..v. r Apr."10, 11928 Snyder Nov. 17, 1936 Khoios -'Aug. 25, 1942 Sussenbach A. Nov. 2, 1948 Platt -p. -4.---- Jan. 31, 1950 Waldes Aug. 19, 1952 Utermohlen Mar. 6, 1956 Shapiro Apr. 30, 1957 

